Why is the platform called a stage?
Technically speaking, the wooden platform that surrounds a tower mill is called a reefing stage. Just as on sailboats, reefing refers to the adjustment of the sail to harness the wind. The term stage is accurate because it is a platform from which an action is performed by a person (as opposed to a terrace or balcony, which is used for leisure or relaxing), and is the traditional term used by millwrights.
